Jason's Requiem
by Genevieve Kelly
Summary: Months after Walsh and Shraeger brought down Cole and his brother for their roles in Walsh's kidnapping, Walsh is struggling in dealing with the aftermath of Cole's betrayal. Casey realizes this is the reason for her partner's reckless behavior, but before she can help him, tragedy strikes, and Walsh's life is once again at stake. A sequel to my first story, Unkindest Cut of All.
1. Chapter 1

Jason's Requiem

Chapter One

The two head detectives of the second precinct were running along docks in pursuit of their latest suspect, who had murdered three women as well as a security officer when he tried to protect the latest victim. Shraeger was in the lead, as Walsh had gotten stuck in the middle of a fight between a group of thugs, which the killer had caused as a diversion in hope of getting the detectives off his back. It didn't take Walsh long to get out from the middle, but as he did, he looked ahead of him and saw that his partner was in trouble.

Their killer had run out to the end of the dock as he searched frantically for an escape, but as he was doing so, he suddenly heard the click of a gun and the female detective shout out, "Freeze! It's over, Martini. You have nowhere else to run. Just give yourself up and we'll do everything we can to make sure you get your fair shake. Get down on your knees and raise your hands."

The man standing in front of the detective started to do as she asked as he smugly replied, "I'm not finished yet, detective."

It was then that he swiftly picked up a broken section of the wooden dock and swung it at her more than once, successfully knocking her gun from her hands and her down to the ground, then pulled her up against him as they both struggled against each other to gain possession of the gun. Just as the killer had gained the upper hand, leaving her down on the ground after striking her across the head with the weapon, he aimed it down at her and was about to fire, when all of a sudden, Walsh charged him from behind, which caused them both to fall into the freezing cold water beneath them.

"Walsh!" Casey cried out as she watched her partner crash into the river along with the man, who had nearly killed her only seconds before. "Walsh!"

Neither her partner or Martini came back up to the surface for what seemed like several minutes, when Casey thought she suddenly heard the muffled sounds of gunfire, though she couldn't be sure. Finally, her partner burst through the water and struggled to breathe as he slowly made his way back over to the dock, where Shraeger was holding her arm out, waiting to pull him back up. As she finally grabbed hold of him, she could feel him shivering wildly from the cold.

"My God, are you all right?" Casey stupidly asked as she struggled to help him climb up and out of the river, then noticed blood seeping out from a new wound in his arm. "I can't believe…"

Jason continued struggling as he interrupted, "I'm… fi… fine. Mart… ini's dead. I managed to… turn the gun... on him… as it went off."

Casey quickly began to rip open the sleeve of his jacket so that she could get a better look at his wound, then responded, "But not before you managed to get yourself shot first. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't exactly thinking… about anything when I charged him… and then hit the surface of the… freezing cold water," Walsh answered as he looked down at his arm, then over at Casey as she quickly wrapped a makeshift bandage around his arm until she could get him to the hospital. "It's what partners do. Surely you would have done the same for me."

"Maybe so, but just the same," she started to reply until she paused as she looked into his eyes, then away again quickly, not really sure if she could have done the same type of thing, as she never really saw herself as heroic like she saw her partner, a trait she truly admired in him. "You could have gotten yourself killed. Now you're shaking from the cold, there's a good chance you could be suffering from hypothermia or catch pneumonia, or worse."

Jason smiled and then after he finally got his shivering under control he responded, "I'm fine, Shraeger. Let's just get out of here and head to the station, or better yet, let's first stop by the diner, so that I can change into something dry before we head back."

Casey quickly stood in his way before he could take two more steps toward the street and then answered, "Absolutely not! You just got yourself shot and nearly drown in that cold, filthy river and you think I'm going to just let you go back to work as if nothing happened?"

"I told you, I'm fine," Walsh answered as he scowled at her.

"Maybe so, but you'll be better if you stop acting like a tough guy and let me take you where you can get checked out first," Casey replied sternly. "Or at least I'll feel better and that's really all I care about. Now, get moving. I'm driving."

After her partner got into the passenger's seat, Shraeger walked around to the driver's side and as she climbed in, she looked back over at Walsh as he stared out the window in silence and it was then that she suddenly realized something, she should have noticed months ago, ever since he had taken another bullet for her days after he had been kidnapped and nearly killed by Cole's brother, then left to die by the younger ex detective, Navan Granger, as everyone now knew. Casey realized then that he has been acting reckless ever since the betrayal, not caring if anything happened to him. Jason had been putting himself in harm's way almost every time they were forced to take down a dangerous criminal or suspect.

She started to bring it up, when her phone began to ring, then as she saw it was their boss, and she picked up saying, "Shraeger."

The man on the other end spoke up too as he asked, "_Did you two manage to catch the scumbag, Shraeger?_"

"Yes sir, Sergeant, we did," she responded as she quickly looked over at Walsh, who was watching her again while the call lasted. "We're going to need a diving team to search the river for the body. We didn't have much of a choice."

"_Just so long as it's our suspect's body and not one of yours,_" the sergeant answered. "_Good work you two, now get back here right away and explain to us what happened. I really look forward to hearing about it._"

Before she could explain that she was going to take her partner to the hospital, their boss had hung up, then Walsh spoke up again as he said, "It looks like we're heading back to the station after all. You heard the man."

Shraeger glared at him and then replied, "Yes, I heard him. Don't think that you've gotten off that easy. We're going to the hospital as soon as we finish up at the station. When the sergeant gets one look at you, he'll say the exact same thing."

"Whatever, let's just get this over with," he responded. "By the way, are you all right? I mean, you were also almost killed before. Are you hurt at all?"

"I'm okay, really," she answered bashfully, as she couldn't help but blush when he shared his concern for her, then quickly looked away as she stared ahead. "Thanks to you."


	2. Chapter 2

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Two

"What the heck happened to you two?" Eddie asked as soon as both Shraeger and Walsh walked into the squad room, causing everyone to stare at them because of the condition the head detective was in. "You look like a wet dog, Jason?"

"I'm certainly in better condition than that lunatic we were chasing," Walsh answered as he and his partner passed Alvarez, then headed into their sergeant's office. "I felt like going for a swim today."

Sergeant Brown met them at the door, gestured for them to take a seat in the chairs in front of his desk, then took a seat himself, and said in frustration, "Now, tell me what happened, including why you're sitting here soaking wet and with a bullet in your arm."

Walsh looked down at the rag Casey used to tie around his wound, then back at their boss, and responded, "The bullet is no longer in my arm, Serge. It went right through; this nothing more than a scratch."

"I'm waiting," Brown replied, more impatiently than before.

"Walsh and I were chasing after our killer along the docks and he managed to create a diversion, which Jason ended up stuck in the middle of, while I continued chasing Martini," Casey continued. "I shouted for him to freeze and raise his arms once I had him cut off at the end of the dock, seeing as he had nowhere to run, but he managed to quickly overpower me. He was going to kill me with my own gun, until Walsh suddenly charged him, causing them both to land in the river. He saved…"

Jason quickly interrupted, "I was able to get the upper hand once we were in the water. Martini got one shot off, but mine was the one that counted, sir. He's dead and we're both still here."

Sergeant Brown nodded and then answered, "Very good. All you need to do now is begin your report, but first, get your partner down to the hospital where he can get his arm stitched up properly, Casey. Then, take him back to his place so he can change into some dry clothes. Is that understood?"

"But Serge…" Jason tried to protest until their boss cut him off.

"No buts, Walsh," Brown responded. "You'll do what I'm telling you to do. Is that understood?"

Walsh sighed, then replied, "Of course, sir."

After they left the sergeant's office, Casey turned toward her partner and smirked, then spoke up again saying smugly, "I told you that the sergeant would say the same thing. Now, are you ready to finally get going?"

"If you insist," Jason answered.

"Oh, I do," she responded as she pulled on his good arm, then pushed him in front of her, and toward the exit of the precinct. "Get moving, hotshot."

After leaving the hospital a little over an hour later, Casey sat at the counter inside Walsh's diner while she waited for him to change his clothes. When he walked back out from his tiny room in the back, neither one of them said much except for Walsh asking if she wanted anything to eat, to which she replied that she'd take a burger and fries.

Jason only nodded and when she could no longer stand the silence, Casey finally spoke up again as she asked, "So, are you going to tell me what's going on with you?"

He looked back at her in between cooking her meal as he replied, "I don't know what you're talking about, Casey. I was only doing what needed to be done. It was no big deal."

"That's bullshit!" Shraeger cried out in anger. "That's bull, you big jerk. You saving my life is a big deal, to me. I don't understand why you can't accept that. For the last few months, you've been moody, more quiet than usual, and I mean, I get it, ever since Cole's betrayal and Beaumont's cold behavior toward you and all, but… You've been acting reckless, Walsh. You charged Martini like you didn't care if you died in that water and it wasn't just today. Four days ago, you picked a fight with the sergeant's bosses, not caring if they fired you or not, just because you disagreed with them. Then, shortly after you came back to work after your recovery, you right away…"

"I know what I did, Casey," Jason interrupted in frustration, then roughly placed a plate of food down in front of her. "I know what I'm doing and believe me, you're overreacting. I'm fine. All I'm doing is my job and today, I was protecting my partner, like all partners do. Let this go and just eat your burger."

Knowing that he wasn't going to say more about this, Shraeger started to eat like he suggested and then said, "I am still amazed that you know how to make a burger and fries that are this good. Why can't you cook anything else this good?"

Walsh smiled and then answered, "Every chef is known for at least one thing. This way, no one else can mistake what one good meal that is."

"Well, you're right about that," she responded as she continued eating. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he responded, knowing full well the real reason why she was thanking him, as it was the same reason why he finally gave in and said as he had. "We should probably get back, so that we can start on our paperwork. Lord knows, I have enough of that to catch up on. I shouldn't add anymore to the pile."

Casey nodded in agreement as she quickly finished her burger and then replied, "Fine. I'll say one thing, I'm glad this case is finally finished. Now we can finally give those families some peace of mind."

Jason quickly added, "As well as some peace for ourselves. I can finally get some sleep tonight."

"If only that were true," she muttered under her breath after her partner walked into the back again, knowing full well that he hadn't gotten much sleep ever since he discovered that he had been wrong to believe that Cole had actually changed for the better.


	3. Chapter 3

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Three

Two weeks passed by and nothing much continued to change around the 2nd precinct. Walsh continued to act moody and quieter than usual, while Shraeger continued to try to get him to open up; to no avail. Beaumont had finally been assigned a new partner, though she wasn't too keen on getting to know the newest agent and she still wasn't speaking to Walsh, except for when it was necessary while they were working a case together. Alvarez, Banks, and Delahoy continued acting like themselves, as if nothing changed in the past few months, except that Eddie continued working on not being so self-centered. However, the change wasn't apparent to many, except to Jason and Casey, as well as to Sergeant Brown.

One night early on in April, another gruesome murder took place and the two head detectives were assigned to the case. Unfortunately, it was also the same night that everything started to go wrong for the two partners, beginning with two attacks that weren't what they appeared.

As they leaned over their latest victim, Walsh spoke up first as he said, "At first glance, it looks like our girl here was mugged for whatever amount of money she had just withdrawn from the ATM before our guy killed her."

Casey looked around the crime scene, then over at her partner as she asked, "I get that, seeing as she's positioned like she just walked away from it, but what makes you think otherwise? I mean, there's a crumpled up withdrawal slip on the ground beside her, but there's no money anywhere on her and her purse is missing."

"And she's been shot three times; twice in the chest and once in the head," Jason continued. "If this was just a mugging, then the two bullets to her chest would make sense, but seeing as they are two fatal shots, why would our killer need to shoot her again in the head?"

"I don't know, maybe it's because the guy has serious anger issues, or maybe he's just a psychopath that believes in the art of overkill," she responded in frustration. "What do you think happened here?"

Walsh looked down at the young woman again and then answered, "I think she was targeted by our killer and after he shot her in the head, he shot her twice in the chest and stole her purse in order to make this look like a mugging and robbery. It's our job to figure out why someone wanted her dead, then we'll be able to figure out who it was that killed her."

Shraeger nodded and then replied, "All right, I'm with you. From the amount of money she withdrew and from the clothes that she's wearing, I'd say our girl here comes from a wealthy family. Perhaps that's the reason why she was killed."

"That's a start," he spoke up again. "I guess you would make a connection with her because of that, wouldn't you?"

"Shut up," Casey quickly answered when she caught on to his humor. "You're probably right, I do tend to notice these things because of my, rich background. I wish I could shut it all off, but I can't. How many times do I have to tell you not to keep rubbing that in?"

Walsh smiled and replied, "At least a few more dozen times. Some things never get old."

She smiled as well and then despondently responded, "It's sad. I mean, she's young and she had her whole life in front of her. What could she have possibly done to deserve to die like this?"

"There are lots of reasons that come to mind," Jason answered just as despondent. "She could have just gotten involved in a relationship with the wrong guy, or you may be right about her becoming a target because she was rich. That's what we're here for. Let's get back to the station so we can first try to find out who our girl is. Her being wealthy will probably help us figure that out pretty quickly."

"At least that's one good thing about having money," Shraeger replied. "Let's get going."

An hour and a half later, the two agents were walking out of the station again after briefing their sergeant on their newest case, including the identity of the victim, which they figured out after running the young woman's prints through their databases. It turns out that Karen Simmons was a rich girl, who had had a few minor run in with the law. Beyond that, the agents had a long way to go before they would learn the rest.

As Casey walked around to the driver's side of the car, while Walsh started to get into the passenger's seat, two men suddenly stepped out from out of nowhere and began to fight against the lead agent as he struggled to keep one of them from stabbing him with a knife. As they did so, Casey quickly pulled out her gun and aimed it toward her partner's attackers. However, she wasn't able to take a shot, as Walsh was forced to remain in between them while the struggle continued.

Casey quickly fired a shot into the air, startling one of the attackers enough to move him into the open as she fired a shot into the man's arm, then shouted out, "Let him go, now!"

The unwounded man still holding the knife over Walsh quickly shoved him forward toward Shraeger, but not before slicing a deep gash across his stomach, then both took off running while dodging several more rounds fired at them by both Casey and Jason, who remained on the ground after his attack.

When the two men disappeared, Shraeger quickly rushed to her partner's side as she shouted, "Walsh, my god, are you all right?"

"Yeah," he responded as he struggled to pull himself up. "Don't worry, I'm all right. This is only a scratch."

"Why is every wound to you nothing more than just a scratch?" Casey asked in frustration as she examined the cut beneath the blood seeping out through the new tear in his shirt. "This doesn't look like just a scratch. You're going to need more stitches; a lot more."

Walsh only ignored her as he asked, "What kinds of men are brazen enough to attack two detectives outside of their precinct, wielding only a knife?"


	4. Chapter 4

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Four

A few minutes after the attack, Casey carefully assisted her partner, despite his objections, back inside their precinct and as soon as the other detectives and their sergeant saw that Walsh was hurt, everyone came over to stand around him and Shraeger as she sat him down at his desk and began to get a closer look at the wound, while Brown quickly made a call to the EMTs.

"Man, are you all right, Walsh?" Eddie asked as he leaned down to take a closer look. "What happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Walsh replied, then winced when Casey accidently prodded too hard. "It happened really fast. A couple thugs just came out of nowhere, pulled a knife on me, did this, then ran off when Shraeger pulled her gun, and fired a few rounds."

Brown got off the phone, then looked down at the two detectives, and asked roughly, "Did at least one of those bullets find a home in a pound of flesh?"

Casey looked up at him as she answered, "Yes Sir, I think so. I couldn't get a clean shot at the guy holding the knife, but his partner took one. It doesn't make any sense, sir. These two attacked a cop using only a knife and they weren't even wearing masks."

"Does that mean you two got a good look at the men?" the Sergeant asked again.

"I was a little preoccupied with keeping my eyes on the knife and the hands trying to force it into my chest or throat," Walsh responded as he pushed Casey's hands away from him, pulled a clean shirt from his desk drawer, and then held it over his wound to help stifle the blood flow. "All I know is that the main guy was all muscle. He was huge and strong."

Casey continued, "It was too dark. All I could tell was that both the guys were white and they may not have been wearing masks, but they were wearing gloves. They also took the knife with them when they ran off. We've got no way to identify them, unless their ugly mugs are among the mug shots in our databases. I'm pretty sure that I could identify them if I saw them again."

Delahoy scoffed and then replied, "That helps narrow it down."

"It is better than nothing," Banks retorted.

"Not really," Beaumont stated as Walsh looked over at her, causing her to turn away quickly.

Sergeant Brown continued, "The paramedics should be here any minute now. Casey, I want you to accompany your partner to the hospital in order to make sure that he cooperates with the doctors as they stitch him up."

Jason smiled at his partner, then looked up at their sergeant and answered weakly, "Don't worry, Serge. I don't think I'll be fighting them tonight. It hurts like hell and I think… It's worse than I thought."

"Hey, are you still with me?" Casey quickly asked when Walsh closed his eyes and winced in pain.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he responded when he reopened his eyes to look back at her. "The blood loss is just making me feel a little woozy. This wound's nothing more than a giant paper cut."

Casey shook her head, then replied, "Tough guy."

Jason quickly added, "You know it."

Three and a half hours later…

"So, how is he really, doc?" Casey asked as her partner stayed behind in his hospital room to get redressed after the doctor checked him out and finished stitching up and bandaging his knife wound. "My partner gonna to make it?"

"Yeah, he's going to be fine," the man answered as he stood beside the detective. "The gash was a little deep, but to be honest, it looked much worse than what it really was. The damage was pretty minimal and we easily replenished his blood loss. As long as he takes it easy for the next few days, he'll be just fine, so long as he doesn't tear open the stitches. Now, being a detective I can imagine that might be a little difficult, but he won't be up to chasing any bad guys for some time. You'll need to make sure he doesn't."

Casey looked back at the doctor and then responded, "You don't know my partner. Being a detective isn't what makes him stubborn. His stubbornness was built into his DNA. Thank you for fixing him up, again."

The man nodded and said, "Just try to make sure he doesn't end up here again for at least a few months. We'll end up running out of thread for the stitches."

"I know, he's had to have them at least five times in the last four weeks, mostly because he keeps doing something stupid to rip them open, not to mention his whole hospitalization months ago after he was shot. I swear, he attracts bullets, knives, and scumbags more than Eddie Murphy from his three Beverly Hills Cop movies combined."

"It makes for great movies, but not for real life," the doctor replied and then he reached out and patted her shoulder. "He'll be fine."

As Walsh walked out of the room and joined them, the doctor looked at him as he spoke up saying, "You're just fine, my friend, so long as you take it easy. I don't want to see you back here again anytime soon."

Walsh smiled and answered, "It's not like I planned any of this. Believe me, if I had a say, I wouldn't choose to be here either. Thanks again, doc."

"So, how are you feeling?" Shraeger asked her partner after the man shook both of their hands and walked away. "Really?"

"Much better," Jason responded, while still holding his hand over the wound. "It's now gone from an intense ache, to a very dull ache. I think that's mostly because of the drugs the nurses gave me."

She laughed and then replied, "Sounds nice. Now, are you ready to go home?"

Walsh glared at her as he answered, "Are you kidding, it's after two in the morning, not to mention that I'm on some kind of drug that's making me feel drowsy and a little lightheaded. Let's ride."

"Okay, Kemo Sabe," Casey responded sarcastically. "Who are you, the Lone Ranger? Who says let's ride?"

"I just did," Jason said as he slowly walked on ahead of her. "Now, let's go, Tonto."


	5. Chapter 5

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Five

Two men sped through the streets of the city, not caring about the laws of the road, nor did they care about the red and blue blinking lights that came on behind them, as a cop car began to chase after them. The men didn't have any intention of stopping just then as they made their way to an old neighborhood down in Harlem. However, they didn't have a choice when suddenly one of their tires blew, forcing them to crash into a building facing an alley. The collision caused the onlookers within the area to stop what they were doing and stare at the scene in astonishment.

As soon as the car came to a stop, the two men quickly got out of the car and began to run, but they weren't able to get very far as the officers who had been chasing them fire their weapons in the air to warn them that they would shoot them down if they kept on running. The suspects turned to face the enforcers and they didn't do so with fear on their faces, but with a smug smile.

The officers noticed one of their suspects was holding his hand over his right arm, covering a crudely bandaged wound, then one of them spoke up first saying, "The two of you are under arrest for trying to run and resisting arrest."

The first suspect answered, "We haven't resisted arrest. We didn't realize you were chasing us because we were under arrest. If we had pulled over, all you would have done was give us a ticket for speeding."

"Not for the way you were speeding and the point is that you didn't pull over, so now you are both under arrest," the second cop replied as they both raised their guns higher. "Now raise your hands and keep them raised. If you try to resist us again, we will put a bullet into each of you."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, gentlemen," the man responded again.

All of a sudden, both of the cops were struck, then beaten by five or six thugs that had come up behind them with crow bars, tire irons, and old pipes until the officers were unconscious. When they finished, the two men with their arms raised lowered their arms, then walked over to stand over the men the thugs had just taken down.

One of the thugs spoke up as he said, "We don't like pigs in our neighborhood. Why did you lead them here?"

The larger of the two men being chased answered, "We didn't plan on stopping here. Where we are heading happens to be not too far from here. We appreciate your assistance, but why help us?"

"As I said, we don't like pigs coming here," the leader of the group replied. "We didn't do this to help you, so leave now before I have my men do the same to you. And don't ever come back here again."

"Well, thank you just the same," the wounded suspect responded in gratitude.

As the two men began to walk away, the leader thought for a moment and then called out, "Why exactly were you two being chased anyway? What did you do?"

The first suspect answered, "We were just being chased for speeding, but between you and me, we don't have much regard for cops either. Pay close attention to the news over the next few days. You'll understand then what I mean."

It wasn't long before the same two men who had just left the old neighborhood in the slums of Harlem, finally arrived at their initial destination just outside the most dangerous province within New York City. Inside the large apartment they entered, there were several men around, all of whom worked for the man that owned the property; a very wealthy lawyer, who was known for defending many thugs, criminals, and murderers.

"It's about time you two showed up," the lawyer spoke up coldly in a thick, German accent. "You were longer than you said you'd be. Is it done?"

"I'm certainly not standing here with a bullet in my arm for nothing and if we had failed, do you really think that we'd have come here?" the smaller man replied angrily.

The lawyer responded, "One of them managed to get in a good shot I see. You suspected that I would have killed you if you failed me. You're afraid of me?"

The leader of the two criminals answered smugly, "My partner here might be, but I'm not. You've paid us well for this job and plan to give us even more for getting it done. Is there anymore you need us to do?"

"Yeah, there's something more you can do for me," the lawyer replied as he suddenly pulled out a gun and shot the already wounded criminal in the head, then turned to his partner, handed him the weapon, and smiled. "He was right to be afraid of me, but not because he failed. He shouldn't have gotten himself shot by that cop. He was too spineless to continue to work for me. Take his body and the gun I just used and get rid of them. I don't care how, but whatever you do with them, make it so that they can't be found, at least not the gun. I can't have the detectives linking it back to me. If your partner is found, so be it. The bullet in his skull won't help them find who fired it."

"Will do," the large man responded as he stared down at the body. "I didn't like him much either. Can I ask you something, boss?"

The murderer answered, "You want to know what it is I have against Detective Walsh?"

The man nodded and then replied, "I am a little curious. After all, I am the one taking all of the risk here. If the detectives get lucky, then I'll be the one that goes down for this, not you."

"You're right, Johnny," the man responded as he turned to look over at his perpetrator. "You will go down for this if they get lucky enough to figure out who you are, but if you were smart, as I believe that you are, you would have made sure that they can't link you to any of this. Am I right?"

"Don't worry, Han," Johnny answered as he smiled. "I was wearing gloves and why do you think I am still friends with that artist? Prosthetics come in awfully handy when committing crimes that you don't want to be recognized for. In the dark, there's no way that those two detectives could have noticed I was wearing makeup. Hell, they wouldn't have been able to notice if I was wearing a clown mask. So, what did he do to you? Did he piss you off during one of your trials?"

Han handed Johnny an envelope containing the rest of his payment owed to him and replied, "Yeah, something like that. Now, go do what I asked you to do."

The man smiled back and then responded, "We're as good as gone. It's been a pleasure, as always."


	6. Chapter 6

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Six

"Walsh, what the hell are you doing here at ten after eight?" Sergeant Brown shouted across the room as he watched the precinct's head detective and his partner walk in and stiffly take a seat at his desk on the morning after his attack.

"Yeah, I know I'm late, Serge, but…" Walsh began until he was interrupted.

Brown continued, "Can it! You know damn well that your tardiness isn't what I was talking about. I know that you want to catch the scumbags that did this to you, but you're not going to do it today and probably not tomorrow either. I want you to go back home and rest up. Your other case has already been assigned to Banks and Delahoy. Shraeger, I want you to take him there and do whatever you have to do to make sure that he follows my orders. Is that understood, detective?"

Casey smiled as she saw the disdain on her partner's face as he tried to object, then to cut him off she quickly responded, "Yes, Sir. I'll make sure he acts like a good boy."

"I'm not going to just go home and take it easy so long as those two men are out there running around free, especially in case they plan to come back to finish the job," Jason said once their boss walked back inside his office, no longer being in earshot. "I mean, I'm a little sore, but I'm not incapable of doing my job."

"If I recall, the doctor told you the same thing," Casey replied smugly as she noticed that he really wasn't looking very well. "You really ought to listen to them. It looks like you're getting sick."

Walsh nodded, then looked at her, and asked calmly, "It's just a persistent headache that started last night before the attack. If those two guys targeted you and nearly killed you, would you just go home and rest up; honestly?"

Shraeger looked back at him as she thought for a moment, then answered, "No, I probably wouldn't. So, what now? If we're not heading back to your crappy diner, where do we go from here? It's not like we have any leads whatsoever."

"Actually, you're wrong about that," Jason responded as he reached into his pants' pocket and pulled out his wallet, then shuffled through the dollar bills he had inside it, counting them out in his head.

"What's the money for?" she asked as Walsh stood up and began to leave the room, then headed toward the surveillance room. "Are you going to offer up a reward to the criminals for them to come forward?"

He chuckled, then replied, "That's a thought, but no. I owe Kip down in the surveillance room a hundred dollars because I lost a bet, not that I really like to admit it, but then we made a second bet, which made the first one null and void. However, I think that if I were to offer him that money back, it might soften him up enough to let me take a look at last night's footage from the cameras outside the precinct and then make a copy of it for us to use."

They were just about there when Beaumont suddenly bumped into Walsh, then so that she didn't have to apologize, Walsh quickly spoke up saying, "Sorry, I'm sorry about that, I wasn't really…"

"Don't worry about it," she answered as she cut him off. "I'm surprised you're here and so early. I thought you'd be at home resting."

"Yeah, I couldn't exactly do that," Jason responded. "So, how are things working out with… Alan Latham is it?"

Allison glared at him as she replied coldly, "He's fine and I doubt he's pretending to be someone else. Excuse me."

The angry detective stormed off, then Casey whistled and said, "Wow, does she know how to carry a grudge and she's not ready to let up on you any time soon."

"Yeah, I know," Walsh answered sadly.

"Sorry, look you can't keep letting her get to you, Walsh," his partner responded as she stood in his way when he started toward the door to the surveillance room again. "You did nothing wrong, especially in regards to Allison. How many times am I going to have to remind you of that? You did everything you could to protect her and to keep her from getting hurt. Hell, you even tried to help Co… Granger even though he didn't deserve it. She's the only one who's got a problem here, not you."

Walsh looked at Casey as he asked, "Are you through? We've got a job to do and I for one would like to find something on those two scum…"

He stopped talking as he suddenly grew dizzy and as soon as she noticed this, she asked, "Hey are you really all right?"

"Yeah, I told you I'm fine," he replied as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm fine; it's just a headache. Maybe I am pushing myself too fast, but I'm not going to quit now."

"All right, listen, I'll meet you in there in just a minute," Casey said quickly. "I'm going to run to the bathroom."

He nodded, then walked into the room, while Casey headed off toward the bathroom, but instead of going inside, she turned and headed back into the squad room where she saw Beaumont was sitting down at her desk, her new partner being nowhere in sight. Shraeger paused moment, then continued walking toward the other female detective until she stopped as she took a seat across from her, causing Beaumont to stop fiddling around with whatever items were in front of her.

Seeing the look of anger upon Casey's face, Beaumont spoke up first asking, "Can I help you?"

Casey answered sternly, "I know that you're hurting right now and understandably so, but you really need to stop treating Walsh like any of what happened months ago with Cole was his fault because we both know that it wasn't. He's been blaming himself and I can't get him to stop either, but you treating him this way isn't helping him heal any faster. It may not be any of my business, but I know how you felt about Co… Navan. You loved him and it tore you apart to find out the truth about him, but you couldn't confront him because you couldn't face him. It hurt too much, so instead, you're taking that anger and pain out on the one person you know will never hold it against you. If you can't stop… if you can't forgive Jason, then you might as well just transfer out of this precinct. If you keep this up, I'll talk to the sergeant and do whatever I have to do to protect my partner. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Yeah, I do and you're right," Allison responded sadly. "I am trying. It's just going to take time."

"Well, while you try to work that out, now might be a good time for you to take that vacation Serge tried to get you to take earlier," Shraeger replied as she stood up and began to walk away. "It will really do you some good."

Casey made her way back down to the surveillance room, but as soon as she walked inside, she saw that her partner was lying unconscious on the floor as the two detectives working there were bending over him trying to help him. She ran over to him and shoved the others aside in order to help him herself, then shouted out for them to call for an ambulance.

She cried out, "Walsh! Walsh! Oh God, he's burning up. What the hell happened?"

Kip stood there looking confused as he quickly answered, "I don't know! One minute, he was standing here asking me for a favor and then all of a sudden… he… he just collapsed. Was he sick?"

"I don't… I mean, he was complaining of a headache, but… Why am I explaining this to you?" Shraeger continued. "Did you call for that ambulance? Come on, Walsh! Hold on, please!"


	7. Chapter 7

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Seven

After she arrived at the hospital, having gotten a ride in the ambulance with the paramedics and her partner, Casey stopped following after him just short of the operating room, then began to nervously pace back and forth outside it, refusing to go sit down in the waiting room as the nurses suggested.

She thought through the day so far over and over in her mind as she tried to figure out how this had happened. When she picked Walsh up this morning at his diner, he looked like he was hurting, but he had reassured her that he was fine, which she realized quickly was an oversight on her part to listen to him, but she ignored her gut. As the first half of the day passed, she started to notice that he was getting worse, but still she didn't listen to her conscience and now he was paying for her mistake.

Two hours passed by the time Sergeant Brown arrived, followed by Alvarez, and as they walked over to her, their boss spoke up as he asked curtly, "So, what happened this time? I thought I told you to make sure that he went home to rest."

Shraeger nodded as she replied, "Yes Sir, you did, but… We were going to head back to his place, but on the way out, he stopped down at the evidence room in hope of getting footage from the other night. I went to go talk with someone and when I went down to meet up with him, that was when I found him, unconscious on the floor and burning up. He was complaining of a headache. Actually, we wasn't, but I noticed earlier he was hurting and that was all he would tell me. I should have listened to my gut and try to find a way to get him to stay home and rest, but… I didn't."

"In your defense, we all know how hard headed your partner can be," Serge responded calmly. "I have to admit that that is one of the reasons why I admire him so much and consider him one of the best detectives in the precinct. He pushes through his pain and gets the job done no matter what. This is partly my fault too."

"What about me?" Eddie quickly asked. "Aren't I one of your best?"

Brown simply glared at Eddie, then turned back to Casey, and asked again, "Do you have any idea what's wrong with him? I mean, do you think that maybe his wound became infected somehow, or is just because of his lack of sleep and rest over the last several months?"

It was then that one of Walsh's doctors walked out and answered for her, "Actually, those aren't the only reasons for your partner's collapse. That may be a part of it, but the main reason why he became unconscious is because he's been poisoned."

"Poi… poisoned?" Casey cried softly. "But how… how is this even possible? When did this even happen?"

"I'm guessing not too long ago, less than twelve hours perhaps," the man replied.

Alvarez spoke up again as he responded, "You're saying that he was poisoned last night."

Casey added, "Those scumbags never intended to kill Walsh, at least not then. The blade they used was tipped with the poison."

"That would be my guess," the doctor answered confidently. "But no matter how it was administered, the poison used isn't just your run of the mill kind of poison. It looks like it was specially made and not in an average soup kitchen like most are."

"What exactly are you saying?" Shraeger asked fearfully. "Can't you help him?"

The man looked between the three agents, then turned back to Casey, and replied sadly, "I can give him some antibiotics that will help to prolong the poison's affects and then when they no longer work for him, we can treat him here the best that we can, but… I'm afraid that unless you can find the people responsible for hurting him and figure out what type of poison they used, then there will be nothing more I can do. I am sorry. If you'd like to see him, he's been moved into his own room, room number 204, and he's awake. Just take it easy on him. He's worn out."

As the doctor began to walk away, Sergeant Brown quickly called out, "Thank you, doctor."

"Sergeant, you can't take us off this case," Casey quickly said as soon as the three of them were alone again. "I mean, Walsh will want to hunt these men down until he can't any longer, just as badly as I do and I refuse to let you leave his life in Banks' and Delahoy's hands, or Beaumont and her new partner's. I mean no disrespect, but…"

"Relax Casey," Brown responded gently, hoping to calm her down. "I don't plan to take either of you off of this. If and when Jason feels up to going out to follow your lead the two of you started on, then be my guest. Do whatever it is you have to do. All of us have your backs. Each of us are going to work our angles to track down and get these sons of bitches. Now, go and see your partner. Reassure him that we're all here for him."

She nodded and they walked off, then she slowly headed toward her partner's room, but when she arrived, she suddenly stopped outside of his room. Suddenly going inside made her nervous. Once again, her partner was fighting for his life and a part of her blamed herself for not doing anything more to convince him to take it easy. If she had, then maybe he wouldn't have been so quick to dive into the next few cases. However, after a few minutes, she finally blew a few breaths and slowly walked inside.

As she walked in, he spoke up wearily saying, "Well, it's about time. You're looking worse than me. Are you okay?"

Shraeger shook her head as she smiled and then answered quietly, "You're unbelievable. You're the one who's been poisoned and you're asking me if I'm okay. If you want the truth, then no, I'm not okay. This is the second you've been in here in two days, and at least the fifth or sixth time you've been in here in the last few months. This is getting really old."

"Hey, it's not like I've chosen to get attacked this much?" he retorted. "And I certainly don't like to be here, any more than you do. I promise you, I am not trying to get myself killed. And right now, I really want you to get me out of here so that I can help you find the bastards that did this to me before I no longer can."

"All right, I'll get you out of here, but when we do leave, I'm taking you back home so that you can finally get some rest," Casey replied sternly. "If you promise me that you'll take it easy for the rest of the day, then I will allow you to watch that footage with me."

Walsh smiled and responded, "I promise. Look, I know that the others are all fully capable of finding these men, but I can't let you or them go out there and risk everything for me, without trying to do all I can too. This is my fault. You were right about me before. I have been taking risks because I am going through something. I owe you an apology. I'm sorry, Casey."

Casey shook her head and then spoke up again saying, "I don't need you going soft on me now. I need that fighter in you. Are you still with me?"

"Yeah, I'm with you," he answered as he sat up and slowly maneuvered to the side of the bed with his partner's help. "Thanks."

"That's what partners are for," she said sincerely. "Now, let's go find us some bad guys and kill that poison trying to kill you. I'm not ready to break in a new partner just yet."


	8. Chapter 8

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Eight

"So, did the doctor tell you how long I've got?" Jason asked with no hint of concern in his voice as his partner helped him get out of their car once they arrived once again at his diner.

"Do you really have to sound like you're not worried at all?" Casey asked in frustration. "You're insufferable. I hope you know that."

Walsh slowly sat down on his bed, then smiled as he looked up at her, and answered, "Yeah, I know it. So, did he say?"

She finally turned around to look at him and then responded, "No, he didn't actually and I didn't ask him. Maybe I should have, but… I didn't really want to hear about a time limit. Neither one of us really need the extra pressure right now."

"That's a good call," he replied as she walked into the diner area, then came back carrying the TV he used to watch his surveillance feed. "I don't really care about how much time a doctor might think I have left. It's up to me how long it will be before I can no longer keep up the fight and I don't plan on giving up."

"Then, why don't we begin with our home movies," Shraeger answered as she finished setting up the box, then started playing the surveillance footage they had gotten from outside the station. "Do you really expect to find something here?"

As he worked the controls in order to forward through all of the footage until the time of his attack, Walsh quietly responded, "I'm not really sure, but something didn't seem right about them. I mean, they were wearing gloves and so they didn't want to risk leaving finger prints behind, but they weren't wearing masks. Doesn't it seem strange that they didn't seem to mind if either of us, mainly you, recognized them?"

Casey finally understood and she replied, "You're right, but… I couldn't really see them all that well in the dark, but they certainly weren't wearing masks. I would have noticed that."

"Maybe not, but the faces you saw weren't their faces," Jason answered as he suddenly stopped and paused the tape, then zoomed in close on the assailant struggling behind him holding the knife. "I didn't think much of it at the time, but when the scumbags first attacked me, I reached up and scratched this guy's cheek and then focused on keeping him and his friend from plunging the knife into my chest. I ripped something and it looks like it wasn't a band-aid."

"Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle," Casey said in surprise as she started at the paused image in the screen, seeing what looked like torn flesh peeled away from his face. "They were wearing masks, but not some creepy Halloween mask you pull on and off. They were wearing prosthetics."

Walsh stared sternly at the screen as he responded coldly, "These guys are good."

Shraeger replied, "Well, so much for me being able to identify them. What are we supposed to do now? Scratch that, I'll find something, but you are going to try to get some sleep now. I told you I would let you watch the footage. You have to rest, otherwise the poison in your system is going to wear you out faster. You promised me."

"Okay, you're right," he answered as he looked up at her while she loomed over him, her arms crossed. "But I need you to promise to come get me if you find us a lead."

"You have my word," she responded sincerely. "I'm going to check in with you in a little while and it won't be on your cell phone. You better be here."

Walsh nodded, then replied, "I promise too."

Meanwhile…

Back at the precinct, the detectives were standing around as Alvarez briefed them all on the situation at hand as he was saying, "It turns out, that the blade our assailants used to cut Walsh was tipped with poison. The doctor wasn't sure about how fast the poison would spread or how long Walsh has, but it doesn't matter. We need to figure this out as soon as possible."

"Where are we supposed to start?" Delahoy asked curtly. "We have nothing to go on."

"Actually, it looks like that's not exactly true," Sergeant Brown said as he walked into the large room from his office. "I just received word that two officers got into a chase with two men driving a grey Pontiac with no plates. The chase ended when the perpetrators' tire blew out, causing them to crash. As the police tried to question them, they were both beaten down by a group of thugs and by the time they came to, the men were gone."

Detective Banks asked, "Do you want us to go and talk with the cops to see if they can help us by giving us a description of the two men?"

Casey walked in holding up a surveillance tape as she quickly answered, "I don't think that description is going to do us any good. They were wearing prosthetic make up."

"How could you tell?" the sergeant asked gruffly. "You were pretty positive last night that you could identify them if you saw them again, Shraeger."

"I thought I was, but it turns out that the faces I saw weren't their real faces," she responded as she handed their boss the tape. "Walsh remembers scratching one of his attackers across the cheek and thought he had managed to tear off what he thought might have been a band-aid or more likely skin, but after watching the video, it's clear that that's not what it was and before walking in here just now, I took a look around the area where the attack happened. I found the piece of the prosthetic mask on the ground. It's possible that Walsh's attackers had pulled their masks off once they got away, but I wouldn't bet on it. Anything could have happened on their way back to wherever they were heading. If they ran into someone, they wouldn't risk anyone seeing their real faces."

"Beaumont and Latham, I want the two of you to go and talk with the officers anyway, just in case," Serge replied. "I don't want to take any chances. Delahoy and Banks, the two of you are going to go take a look around the scene of the crash. Look inside their car and see if there's anything that they might have left behind that might help us to identify our criminals."

Casey looked over at their boss and asked, "What about me?"

The sergeant stared back at her and said, "You, me, and Alvarez are going to go take a look around the scene, to see if there were any witnesses to the beating. Maybe they can help us with finding the thugs that beat down two cops. They'll probably have information on our two scumbags, seeing as they helped them get away, whether it was out of the goodness of their hearts or because they were offered money to help them escape."


	9. Chapter 9

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Nine

Each of the detectives went off to do the assignments given to them by Sergeant Brown, while he, Casey, and Eddie walked around the beaten down neighborhood in search for any witnesses that might be willing to come forward. No one did and the detectives understood very well the reason why. Those that grew up and lived in Harlem didn't speak to cops, let alone trust them.

However, as the three were about to give up and walk away to go and talk to the others about their findings, a black man looking to be in his late twenties, wearing a bandana around his head, a white tank top, and loose, baggy jeans with a chain running from his belt down to his left side pocket stepped forward and started to call out obscenities toward them, then threw a glass beer bottle toward Casey, though it just barely missed her as she quickly dodged it. Alvarez and the sergeant quickly grabbed hold of the thug and forced him against a nearby car as they cuffed him, but as they were doing so, the man suddenly spoke up again softly, his attitude having changed drastically.

"I'm sorry about the language and almost hitting you with the bottle, detectives, but I needed to get your attention," he said just above a whisper so that any onlookers wouldn't be able to overhear him speaking. "For what it's worth, I knew this fine young lady could duck out of the way. My name's Detective Colton Finlay with the twenty-forth precinct; narcotics division. I'm undercover right now with a small gang that lives throughout this neighborhood. They've been selling drugs to other gangs, thugs, and even kids in all of Harlem as well as a few of the other territories. I'm one of the few detectives undercover around here trying to stop them."

"What is it that you wanted to talk to us about?" Sergeant Brown asked quietly as Eddie turned him around to face them.

Finlay quickly responded, "Not here, please. I can't risk my cover being blown."

Eddie and the sergeant roughly pulled him forward, shoved him into their squad car in order to keep up appearances, and then once they were finally free to talk, Casey asked again, "What is it that you have for us? Is it in regards to the thugs that beat up the two cops that tried to arrest the two wanted suspects?"

"That's right," Colton answered as Alvarez started the car and began to drive toward the station. "I saw the whole thing. I was with the couple of gang members that hung out with those thugs, but I was not one of the ones that participated in the attack. The two men sped through these streets and eventually crashed into the building back there, which your other detectives and crime scene techs are checking out right now, and then when they tried to arrest your suspects, a group of thugs beat them until they were down for the count. That you already know, but what you don't know is that once the cops were unconscious, we had a little chat with your suspects. The guy that runs the gang I'm with, asked your guys what brought them here and why the police were chasing after them. They stated that the cops were after them because they were speeding, but then they mentioned that they didn't have much regards for cops and that we should pay close attention to the news within the next few days; that we would understand what they meant. Does that make any sense to you?"

"No, not at all, but…" Casey replied until she suddenly thought of something. "Sir, have anyone from our precinct spoken to any reporters about Walsh's mugging yet?"

Brown turned to Eddie, who shook his head no, then turned back to Casey as he responded, "No, not yet. I told everyone to keep the attack under wraps. Why?"

Casey thought for a moment and then answered, "I think that Walsh's assailants chose to attack Walsh because they wanted a big story. Maybe they're attention seekers."

"Attacking a detective with the second precinct would certainly be a great way to get that," Eddie replied while he continued to drive. "But if they don't get the attention they're looking for, then they'll most likely try again, and more people will continue to get hurt, maybe even other cops."

"They'll probably keep on hurting people anyway, in order to keep gaining the attention," Shraeger responded. "What I don't understand though is, why would they intentionally wound and poison Walsh? I mean, why not just kill him? It doesn't make any sense."  
Sergeant Brown looked between his detectives and Finlay as he answered, "Nothing about this whole attack makes any sense. They could have killed or poisoned the cops Finlay's gang friends beat too, but they didn't. Instead, they fled to wherever they disappeared to."

The undercover detective spoke up again as he said, "I don't know if this is related at all, but it's possible that after they left us, your suspects headed to the only somewhat fancy apartment building around this province to meet up with whoever it is that hired them to attack this, Walsh; your friend?"

"My partner," Casey quickly replied. "Go on."

"I've heard rumors throughout the neighborhood that there's some kind of kingpin or high priced lawyer that goes in there often to run some kind of business; hiring thugs and others to do, whatever job he needs done," Finlay continued. "If there was any kind of proof to any of these rumors, I would have brought it to my boss' attention, but… there are so many different stories, most of them ridiculous, that I didn't think they were important enough. Besides, these speculations had nothing to do with why I'm posing as one of these thugs. Now I wish that I had. Anyway, your suspects were definitely not from around here, I doubt that they have any friends around that would be willing to hide them from the police, and aside from a couple of fleabag motels, that's the only other place I suspect they could have travelled to on foot."

Casey looked over at Sergeant Brown, who nodded, then she turned to Eddie as she asked, "Are you up to going with me and Walsh to have a look around the place? Walsh will kill me if I don't bring him in on this."

Alvarez smiled as he spoke up again saying, "I'd be happy to."


	10. Chapter 10

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Ten

After Alvarez dropped their sergeant and Detective Finlay off at their precinct, he and Casey headed to Walsh's diner to see if he was up to joining them on an outing. Casey knew that he should just remain home to continue resting so as to not provoke the poison that's trying to kill him, but she also knew that he would fight through the pain if it meant being there to help her find the men responsible for hurting him. She did make him a promise to keep him informed after all.

Eddie waited inside the car, while she walked inside and when she did, she found that her partner was still lying down on his bed asleep, although she could see that it was an uncomfortable sleep, as he was twisted up within the blanket he had wrapped over himself before she left earlier, sweat spread across his brow, as well as along his neck and back, and small tremors racked throughout his body. He was burning up and Casey really wanted to just drag him into the hospital, but she couldn't do that to him. She realized that he had every right to help her track down these monsters. If it was her dying, she certainly would want to be in on her attackers' take down.

She gently reached down to wake him, but as she did so, he became startled as he suddenly grabbed his gun from under his pillow with lightning speed and pointed it straight at her, staring at her as if she was a stranger, not seeing his partner of the last few years that they have been together for.

Casey quickly raised her hands as she softly called out, "Whoa! Take it easy, Jason. It's just me, Casey."

It took several moments for Walsh to finally regain his bearings, then he quickly lowered his gun, and replied softly, "I'm so… sorry, Casey. I couldn't… I didn't see you."

"I know, but it's not your fault," she swiftly answered as she sat down on the bed beside her. "You're burning up. You should be in the hospital."

"You're right, I should be, but I'm not going to die in a hospital," Jason responded coldly. "I need to help you find them, Casey. I need you to understand that."

She nodded as she gently placed her hand down on his shoulder, then replied, "I do. I realized it just before I came in here. It may not be smart of me, but I'm going to let you help me. Just don't die on me and we'll be square."

Walsh smiled, then looked over at his clock standing on the small dresser beside his bed, noticing that he had been asleep for a good part of the day, and asked, "Has something come up; a lead?"

"Actually yeah, but I'm not really sure if it's a good lead," she answered. "It may be nothing, but I thought you would like to join us; uh, Alvarez and me. He's waiting in the car."

"You kept your promise," he responded as he smiled up at her. "I'm not surprised, just grateful. Thank you, Shraeger. You're a great partner. I'm not sure when the last time was that I told you that."

Almost an hour later, the three detectives arrived outside of the large and expensive apartment building, which looked very much out of place, seeing as the rest of the buildings surrounding it were old, worn down, and most of them had boarded up windows. It was obvious that its very wealthy owner either lived in it, or kept it up for whatever his or her reasoning was.

Casey spoke up again as she said, "Under normal circumstances, I'd say we should split up to search this place, but…"

Walsh agreed as he continued, "Then, we should split up. It's a good idea, otherwise, it'll take us way too long."

"No way," she replied quickly. "I may be letting you help us, but there is no way I am going to let you go off on your own. Eddie, will you go with him? I'll go on my own."

"Don't worry, I've got his back," Alvarez answered.

Jason knew not to argue with her on this as he watched his partner walk off in the opposite direction once they entered the dimly lit building, then before she disappeared from his sight completely, he quickly called out again saying, "Be careful, Shraeger. Call us right away if you run into any trouble or see something that's not right here."

She turned to look at him again one last time before heading down another hallway as she responded, "You know me. I'm always careful."

Walsh and Alvarez took the elevator up to the top floor of the building to begin their search, while Casey started down on the bottom floor and worked her way up. Almost thirty minutes into their search for anything suspicious or signs of people who didn't look like they belonged there, Casey was suddenly attacked from behind as someone grabbed her and held her close as she struggled to break free, while another assailant stood in front of her and pointed a gun in her face to make her stop. She had dropped her own gun on the ground in the struggle, so she was pretty much helpless at this point.

"Let me guess, you're one of the scumbags that attacked my partner last night," she said angrily in regards to her handler as she continued to struggle, though not as hard as before as she stared at the gun in front of her to keep her calm. "I take it that your previous partner we shot last night took himself another, more fatal bullet, as he isn't with you anymore. Are these faces your real ugly mugs or just more makeup? Go ahead and kill me too, but I'm warning you, I'm not alone in here so you better know that…"

"Don't worry, Detective Shraeger, we're not going to kill you," the assailant holding onto her spoke in a low, deep voice, ignoring her jab about the prosthetics they had worn before. "And I'm pretty sure that our poison hasn't killed your partner just yet either. He certainly had spirit last night when we fought him and you're plenty wealthy I hear, which is why Detective Walsh is the perfect target."

Casey tried to get a look at the one she couldn't really see and then asked, "That's what this is all about; money? I don't understand."

The man continued, "I'll let you go if you just stand here and listen to our proposal. Otherwise, I'll kill you and he'll die, having had no chance to receive the antidote because his partner was too impertinent and stubborn like some of the others."

"You've killed others," Casey stated in surprised as she finally stopped struggling all together. "I'm listening."

"I know," the man replied as he finally let her go. "Very good, Detective Shraeger. Now, my new partner here and I are here hiding out inside this dump, as you've already managed to put together. I expected we would be the ones to surprise you some time tomorrow, so we weren't really prepared, but I guess now is as good a time as any to make you our offer. Your partner's got a day left, maybe two if he takes it easy and doesn't do anything stupid like coming down here to try to help you fight your way out of here. Surely you didn't think that we would think you're here alone, did you?"

Casey shrugged as she answered, "No, I guess you two aren't as stupid as I first thought."

Johnny, the leader of her two attackers chuckled and then responded, "I like you, Miss. Shraeger."

"That's Detective Shraeger," Casey replied impatiently. "Just get on with your proposal already."

"Okay, detective," Johnny answered. "I have an antidote, though not with me, so don't think about calling in back up to search this place; you won't find it. If you want to save your partner's life, we want four million dollars. Normally, we charge two, but seeing as he's a cop and you're a Shraeger, I've decided to double it. As I said before, I know all about you two. We saw you at one of our crime scenes recently and took a liking to you two right away."

Casey quickly thought a moment as she suddenly responded, "Karen Simmons, the rich girl that was shot three times, once in the head, then twice in the chest to make it look like a robbery. That was you? Walsh was right."

The guy nodded and replied, "That was me. Karen tried to cheat me out of the money she owed me. So, I killed her and her sister died this morning from an infected knife wound she earned from a filthy pig who assaulted her in the strip bar she worked at; very sad."

"You sick, son of a b…" Casey started to say angrily as she grew more concerned about her partner, knowing that he would die for sure unless she did exactly as these two goons before her said, or unless she and the rest of her precinct could figure out who this Johnny and his sidekick worked for, then take them all down together and make a deal for the antidote, which was even more of a long shot.

"There's no need for name calling, detective," Johnny interrupted. "I've kept you long enough. Surely Detective Walsh is getting worried about you. Go and find him and I suggest you don't say anything to him or the rest of your friends. Gather the four million I asked for and tomorrow I'll be in touch. Is that understood?"

The detective glared at the two men, then looked directly at Johnny as she answered coldly, "I understand. I'm guessing you've got my number, is that right?"

Johnny smiled smugly as he responded with a coldness in his eyes, "I'll find you. Don't you worry."


	11. Chapter 11

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Eleven

The two assailants disappeared down the hall and around the corner and once they were gone, Casey slowly reached down and picked up her gun, then headed off in her own direction in search for Walsh and Alvarez. When she finally found them, they were searching on the sixth floor of the ten story apartment complex.

"Hey, did you see anything out of place?" Eddie asked once they were finally back together and Casey could see that her partner was only growing worse the longer he remained out in the field.

"No, I didn't," she replied without looking at the self absorbed detective, as she continued to stare at Jason. "Are you feeling all right, Walsh?"

Jason reached up and wiped sweat off his brow with his hand and then answered, "I'm fine, really. I told you, I'll be better once we find these guys. They're probably not even hiding out here. It looks like your lead is a bust."

Casey looked away as she responded, "Yeah, it looks like."

"We should get back to the precinct then," Eddie continued as Walsh started to walk back toward the elevator to leave the building, followed by Casey and then Alvarez. "Maybe the others have found something. Let me ask you guys something, do you think Latham is as smart as me?"

"Now's not the time to be thinking of yourself, Alvarez," Shraeger replied as she helped her partner get into their car, then turned to face Alvarez after closing the door. "Listen, there's something I have to do right now, so I need you to take Jason back on your own. Can you do that for me?"

Detective Alvarez stared at her as he asked in surprise, "What on earth could possibly be more important than this? Where are you going?"

She looked over at Walsh as he stared up at her from inside the car, then turned back to their friend and answered sadly, "I just need you to trust me. What I have to do right now is important. Please, Eddie."

"All right, you've got it," he finally conceded. "Just hurry back. Your partner's holding his own pretty good so far, but he's hurting more than he's letting on. He won't be able to hold on for much longer."

"I know, but he'll keep fighting for as long as he has to," Casey responded confidently, then turned and walked away, leaving Eddie and her partner behind her, confused as to why she was leaving them.

Forty minutes later…

Casey finally arrived, after fighting through all the city's traffic, at the one place that always made her feel the most uncomfortable and upon seeing the number of cars parked outside the large townhouse, the discomfort increased substantially. She slowly walked up the stairs leading to the front door and was about to knock, when suddenly the door opened before she could, startling both her and the woman that stood before her.

The woman spoke up first as she stated, "Casey, well this certainly is a surprise and of course once again you are way underdressed for this joyous occasion."

The detective quickly and reluctantly hugged the woman and then shrugged as she replied, "Yeah Mom, I am. And what joyous occasion are you celebrating tonight?"

"It's your father's and mine's anniversary," she answered as she led Casey inside and motioned to her husband to walk over to them.

"Right, I'm so sorry, I forgot, but I swear to you there's a reason, which is why I'm here," Casey responded as her father made his way through the crowd and gently gave his daughter a hug. "Happy Anniversary. Listen, can I talk to you in private, please? This will only take a minute and then you can get back to all of your rich, fancy friends."

As Casey swiftly walked into her father's study, her parents following behind her, her mother replied disapprovingly, "Casey Shraeger, how many times have I told you not to insult your father and I by insulting our friends?"

The detective looked between them and then answered sadly sincerely, "You're right, I'm sorry."

"Casey, is everything all right?" her father asked finally. "You look terrible."

"No Dad, everything's not all right," she responded more curtly than she meant. "I know this is going to sound crazy, especially since I've told you a number of times that I would never ask you for any money because I don't approve of how you flaunt it off to people, but I need four million dollars."

Her mother asked in confusion, "Excuse me? I don't understand. Why would you come to us now and ask for such an ungodly amount? Four million is extreme, even for us. Surely you know that we can't just hand it over like…"

Casey suddenly interrupted abruptly as she shouted, "It's for my partner, who'll die if I can't save him."

"What are you talking about, sweetheart?" her father asked calmly, as he finally turned his full attention on her.

"I'm sorry," she continued as she quickly lowered her voice again. "Look, I can't explain everything to you, but this money is needed for a ransom. Walsh wasn't kidnapped, but he has been poisoned and I need this money to pay the killers for an antidote."

Mrs. Shraeger replied, "And you really think that these killers of yours are going to hand over what you need to you, just because you agreed to pay them the money? I thought you didn't believe in negotiating with criminals? At least that's what you've told your father and I?"

Casey crossed her arms as she answered fearfully, "Normally I don't, but if I don't do what they ask this time, Jason will die and I can't… I just can't let that happen. I can't; I won't."

"My my, am I hearing what I think I'm hearing?" her mother asked smugly. "Has my daughter finally found love?"

"Love?" she scoffed. "Am I in love, with Walsh? No, no. Walsh is my partner and the best partner I've ever worked with. He's just a really good friend, quite possibly even my best friend, but I am most certainly not in love with him. Please, may I have the money? I know it's a lot and somehow, I'll find a way to pay it all back, unless you agree to possibly take it from my trust fund, which I specifically have told you over and over that I do not want, seeing as there's no way being a detective will help me make that kind of money in a lifetime."

Her father looked at her as he responded calmly, "Sweetheart, I really wish I could help you, but I'm afraid that there's no way we can possibly give you that kind of money, especially tonight or even within the next few days. I…"

Casey angrily shouted once again saying, "Jason doesn't have a few days! Our family has always looked down on me for not being accepting of who I am and now, when I finally come to you for help, you can't be there for me? Well, to hell with you, all of you! Happy Anniversary again. I hope you enjoy your precious party."

With that being said, Casey swiftly shoved her way back through the crowd and then stormed out of her parents' spacious townhouse without looking back, leaving her bewildered parents behind. A small part of her regretted having said those cruel words to them, but she knew she was right to say them. Her family was spoiled and self centered and it was about time Casey finally let them know how she truly felt, even though she had tried many times beforehand. Maybe this time would sink in one day.


	12. Chapter 12

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Twelve

After leaving her parent's home, Casey drove with no destination in mind as she was trying to think of another way she could solve the problem at hand, though nothing came to mind. The detective wasn't completely without money, as she worked hard to save up all she earned, but what she had saved was not even a fraction of the amount that her partner's assailants were asking for. After what seemed like several hours, though it was really only a little over one, Shraeger arrived at her own apartment and slowly walked inside with one purpose in mind before she would head back to her precinct. What she wasn't expecting was that she wasn't alone.

Upon turning on her lights, she quickly walked into her room and began to rummage through a box she stored underneath her bed in search for a smaller box, but as she was doing so, her partner slowly walked in behind her and spoke up asking, "Are you all right?"

She turned around and looked at him in surprise and answered, "What? Of course I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be and what… how did you know I would be here and why did you come? I told Alvarez I'd be back soon. How did you get here anyway?"

"I convinced Eddie to drop me off here because I knew that you would make your way here, eventually," Walsh replied wearily, then slowly began to collapse until Casey quickly reached out to help him sit down on her bed. "Thanks. They were there… tonight, weren't they; the men who… attacked me the other night?"

"I should have known that you saw through me earlier," Casey responded gruffly. "You always could ever since we became partners."

Jason nodded and answered, "What can I say, it's a gift. I'm pretty good at reading people. The only person that I've read wrong so far was Cole."

Detective Shraeger shook her head sadly and replied, "You somehow need to learn to let that go, Jason. It wasn't that you read him wrong because you didn't. There was good in him, but it mostly disappeared when he gave in to his brother and nearly allowed you to die in that shipping crate. It was because of you that he saw his mistakes and tried to make up for what he did."

"I appreciate that, but we're getting off the subject at hand here," Walsh responded as he looked up at her. "What did they say to you? What is it that they want?"

"They want money," she answered plainly. "What else do criminals usually want? The problem is, I don't have a fraction of it and I don't know how else to get it."

Jason shook his head as he replied, "I don't understand. Why would you?"

Casey responded, "Because they have an antidote for the poison that's killing you right now and I'm not about to take any chances that they'll disappear or kill me for not paying, making it so that there's no chance to save you; that's why."

"Casey, I need you to tell me everything, please," he stated firmly.

"These men killed Karen Simmons, our victim from our case we got assigned just before all this happened, and her sister, as well as a number of other people," Shraeger answered finally. "Her sister was poisoned and Karen was blackmailed into paying our suspects two million dollars because she was wealthy. The same happened to the others. One victim is poisoned and someone close to them is asked to pay the ransom. Those that couldn't pay, or tried to cheat them out of their money, like Karen, were killed as well as the ones who were poisoned. Whoever our killers are, they've done their research on us, or the person they work for did. They know I'm a Shraeger and think that I've got the money to pay them four million instead of two. If I don't pay them, you're as good as dead. Apparently, the extra's because you're a detective, but I got the sense that there was more to it than that. I think their boss has a personal grudge against you."

Walsh pinched the bridge of his nose as he took in the information his partner just explained to him and then looked back up at her as he replied, "Even if you did have the money, Casey, I wouldn't allow you to just hand it over to them, in hope that they would actually keep their word and hand over the antidote needed to save my life. We don't negotiate with other criminals and we're not going to start now, even for me."

Detective Shraeger stood up and looked down on him as she responded curtly, "You're only my partner, Walsh. You're not my boss. I know what the rules are because you taught them to me, but I don't care anymore. I'm not going to let you die if there's something I can do to help you. I can't and you're in no condition to stop me."

"Damn it, Casey, even if I did… agree to this, how… do you suppose you're going to… get your hands… on four mill…?" he began to ask angrily until he suddenly broke off as he doubled over in intense pain.

"Jason!" she cried out as she quickly pulled him close to her, then grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911. "Hang on, you're going to be all right, I promise. Please hold on. Hold on."

The paramedics had come within a few minutes and worked hard to stabilize the detective and while they were doing so, Casey kept her focus on him until they began to load him into the ambulance. As they were doing so, she walked back into her room and continued to rummage through the box from under her bed until she found the smaller box she had been looking for, then opened it up to make sure the item inside was indeed what she was after. She found an antique diamond necklace and carefully placed it inside her coat pocket, then walked out and got into the ambulance beside her partner for the trip to the hospital.

Casey went back and forth from pacing outside the operating room to sitting uncomfortably in the waiting room while she waited for word on her partner's condition. An hour more passed by and she had yet to call their sergeant or the other detectives about Walsh's collapse. She needed to see someone else first.

As Detective Shraeger was resting inside the waiting room, her head in her hands as she was exhausted from not having had any sleep since this mess began, a woman walked over to her and spoke up softly saying, "You look like hell, Casey. Surely this job allows you to sleep once in awhile, doesn't it?"

She turned toward the woman and stood up while she pulled the necklace out, then Casey asked, "I do what I have to do and that includes the reason why you're here, Carol. You've always wanted this and was angry when our grandmother gave it to me instead. You can have it, but I need the money first."

"I've been trying to buy it from you for years, little sister, but you've always refused to let me have it; something about honoring her wishes," Carol answered as she pulled out a change purse and handed it over to the detective. "So why now?"

"This money isn't for me," Casey replied as she pulled out a wad of bills and began to count it. "Talk to Mom and Dad. I'm sure they'll tell you all about my visit to them earlier. This isn't ten thousand dollars? I'm asking for less than half of how much this necklace is worth, but this isn't it; this is only six. Where's the rest?"

The woman looked at Casey as she responded, "I'm sorry, but six thousand is all I could pull together at this time of night. It's late and it's not like I can withdraw the rest from an ATM. You're asking for ten thousand and you're sitting here in the hospital alone. Please, tell me what's going on, Casey?"

Casey placed the money back inside the small bag and into her jacket pocket, then she looked at her sister and said sadly, "I'm trying to save my partner's life and I'm ready to do whatever it takes."


	13. Chapter 13

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Thirteen

Three hours passed since Walsh was brought in and an hour and a half since her sister left. Shortly afterward, Casey finally made the call to Sergeant Brown and it wasn't long before he arrived at the hospital for the second time, followed by detectives Delahoy and Banks, neither of whom actually walked in, but remained outside as they were both terrified of what was in there; sickness and death.

"So, what happened this time?" Brown asked calmly. "He over exerted himself, didn't he?"

"We were only talking at my apartment," Casey responded in frustration as she pinched the bridge of her nose because of how tired she was. "Truthfully, yeah he was over exerting himself because he never should have even left here in the first place. I never should have agreed to let him help me."

The sergeant nodded and then replied, "You wouldn't have had a choice even if you tried to insist that he stay. He's more stubborn than you and that's saying something. What exactly were you talking about? Have you made any leeway into solving this mess?"

She turned to look at him and blatantly lied to him as she answered, "No, the three of us didn't find anything when we searched the apartment complex. Didn't Eddie tell you that?"

"He did, but that isn't what I was asking you about?" he responded as he crossed his arms and looked at her impatiently. "I get the sense that there's something that you're not telling me. What is it?"

"It's complicated," she replied. "I promise that when I can put the pieces together I'll tell you all I know, but I can't right now. I hope you understa…"

It was then that Walsh's doctor walked out to speak with them once again as he spoke up saying, "He's still hanging on. I've given him some antibiotics to help him fight through the pain, but… but they aren't going to help him for long. He has a day left, maybe a little longer so long as he doesn't resist our help any longer. We've been trying to narrow down the type of poison your killer used on him, but there are just way too many to find it in time. He needs that antidote."

Casey looked at the man with sadness in her eyes and then answered firmly, "Just do whatever you can for him. Do whatever you have to do to keep him alive and I'll get you what you need. Do you have what I asked you for earlier?"

"Yeah, I do, but I don't understand," the man responded in confusion as he handed her something wrapped in a bag, that Brown couldn't tell what it was.

"I know, but trust me there's a good reason for it," Shraeger replied as she quickly put it into another pocket in her jacket. "Thank you, doctor. I'm sorry, Serge. I have to go. I promise I'll explain everything later."

Sergeant Brown tried to call out to her as she ran off, but she didn't stop. She left the hospital and didn't look back, leaving her boss and the doctor confused. As soon as she made it out to her car, the detective took a moment to put her thoughts together, as what she was about to do was something she could get into serious trouble for later on should her boss find out. She finally began to drive and it wasn't more than fifteen minutes when she arrived outside of her destination.

She swallowed twice before finally getting out and then walked up to the old car garage before her, but before she could get very far, she was suddenly stopped by two thugs smoking while standing guard just outside of the closed garage door as one of them spoke up and said, "I don't think you belong here, sweetheart. There aren't many cops that hang around here, especially ones as pretty as you."

Despite the nerves she was feeling inside, Casey answered, "I'm flattered, really, but I'm actually here to speak with your boss, or leader of your gang; whatever he is to you. I know who he is and what he does, but I promise you, I'm not here to arrest him, or you. Can you get him for me, please?"

"There's no need," another man responded as he walked outside after overhearing the conversation. "I'm in charge here. I own this place. You look like you're a detective. If you're not here to arrest me for whatever wrong it is you seem to think I did, then what could you possibly want with me?"

"I'm here to do business with you," she replied curtly. "As I said, I know your little counterfeiting business on the side and believe me, I've got proof. Fixing cars is not where you get the bulk of your money from, but I promise you, I won't bring you to my boss' attention, so long as you help me. You'll even make some extra money if you cooperate. If you don't, then all you'll have to worry about is when the day will be when a number of cops will break in here and arrest all of you."

The owner moved closer to her as he asked smugly, "And what's to stop me from having my boys here make sure that you can't go off and tell anyone about what we do here?"

Detective Shraeger answered, "Because, I'm not the only one who knows about you. My partner does too, but he, like me, won't say a word to our boss if you help me. If something happens to me, then he'll make sure you all suffer for a good long time and he can do it, I promise you that too."

"What exactly do you want from me?" the owner of the garage asked in confusion as he moved closer and stared at the detective standing confidently before him in order to see if he could detect any hint of deception from her.

"How much in counterfeit bills do you have on you right now and how much can you make me by tomorrow morning?" she asked. "If you can get me four million, I'll forget my partner and I even found you out… and I'll give you eight thousand dollars for your trouble; no joke. What do you say?"


	14. Chapter 14

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Fourteen

Noon came around the next day as Detective Shraeger was sitting alone on a bench that overlooked the river, oddly enough not too far away from the docks where her partner brought down their killer from a few weeks ago. The only people in the vicinity were the joggers that ran past every now and then.

She waited for almost fifteen minutes when the reason for her being there finally walked up and took a seat beside her, then spoke up in a low, deep voice saying, "It's a beautiful day; a perfect day for relaxing in the sun by the river. Did you bring me what I asked for?"

Casey turned and glared at the man who assaulted her and Walsh and then finally replied, "Yeah, I brought you your payment. I'll give it to you, but before I do, I need to see the antidote. I won't be conned when my partner's life is at stake."

"I get that," Johnny responded coolly. "I'll show it to you, so long as you show me my money."

"I thought you were working for someone," Casey answered smugly. "And you had another partner. Or are you planning on double crossing them too, just like your last partner?"

Their suspect shook his head as he replied, "I thought you believed that you killed him when you and your partner shot at him the other night?"

Shraeger shook her head as she reached down and picked up a brief case that rested on the ground beside her, then she responded, "That's what I thought at first, but I've seen the surveillance footage of the attack and the more I've thought about that night, the more I realized, your first partner was struck in the arm. It wasn't a fatal shot, which means either you or someone else you work with killed him."

"Very good," he answered. "Now, open the case and show me the money."

"It's all here; all four million," she said coldly as she did as he asked. "Where's the antidote for my partner?"

Upon examining the money closely, Johnny spoke up again saying, "It looks like you got exactly what I asked for. Well done, Detective Shraeger. I trust gathering this much was no problem for one of your stature."

Casey wanted nothing more than to shoot him, but she maintained her composure as she replied, "You have no idea. The antidote?"

"I've got it right here for you," he responded as he hand her a box containing a vial of liquid. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, detective. Good luck!"

"The pleasure was all yours," Casey muttered under her breath as Walsh's assailant walked off carrying the briefcase she had given him at his side, then watched as what looked like a homeless man bumped into him and tried to beg him for money before being shoved down to the ground.

Johnny continued to walk off as the bum came over to stand beside her, then spoke up as he asked, "Can you spare a few bucks, pretty lady?"

Casey looked over at the man as she reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out a role of bills, then handed it over to him, and asked, "I take it you got it done?"

"You wanted me to stick him, I got it done, just like you wanted," he answered smugly. "Thanks again for the dough. By the way, what exactly was in that?"

"You'll be better off the less you know," Detective Shraeger replied as she reached out and shook the man's hand. "Thank you for your help, Sam. I will keep my word, as well as do whatever I can to get back the counterfeit money for you. You won't be implicated in this mess, I promise."

Sam looked at her and then responded honestly, "For whatever reason, I like you, detective, and I don't usually like cops. I hope you get your man and save your partner."

Casey answered, "I plan to, or believe me, there will be hell to pay."

A half hour later…

"I've got it!" Casey shouted as she came running into the hospital toward Sergeant Brown and Alvarez, who were currently speaking with her partner's doctor. "I've got the antidote, but just in case, I need you to check it first to make sure it's the real deal."

"How did you get it?" Serge asked crossly as the doctor took the vial from her hand, then ran off toward their lab to do as Casey recommended. "Talk, Shraeger."

Casey looked between her boss and Eddie, then replied, "It's a long story, but first, is he doing all right?"

Alvarez sadly responded, "He's still alive, obviously, but he's taken a turn for the worst. If what you claim is the antidote, isn't really the antidote, then he isn't going to make it."

"It's good," she answered with more confidence than what she actually felt. "It's got to be."

"So, what happened?" the sergeant asked again, sounding more impatient.

Detective Shraeger replied, "When the three of us searched the apartment building, two men involved in Walsh's assault surprised me and claimed they had the antidote, so long as I gave them money for it; four million."

Eddie gasped as he cried, "Four million dollars?"

"So you paid them," Brown stated sternly. "I'm guessing you decided to accept your fortune after all?"

"I did what I had to do to save Jason's life," Casey responded angrily. "Don't worry, Serge, I've got a plan in place to bring them down, as well as whoever they work for. You're just going to have to trust me. That's why you brought me into this precinct in the first place, isn't it?"

Sergeant Brown nodded and then answered, "Do what you have to do."

After he walked away, Casey and Alvarez walked into Walsh's room and as they looked down at his frail form hooked up to a number of tubes and a ventilator that's trying to keep him alive, Shraeger asked, "You have my back, don't you, Eddie?"

"I told you before, Eddie Alvarez is always here for you two," he replied sincerely. "What do you need?"

"I'll let you know in just a moment," she responded as she looked down at her cell as it began to ring. "This is the call I've been expecting."

On the other end of the line, the voice spoke up saying, "_You double crossed me, you…_"

Casey interrupted, "That's right, the money I gave you was fake and before too long, you'll be in for another surprise as well. You didn't think that I would just trust that the antidote you gave me was the real thing, did you? You double cross me and I double cross you."

"_What are you talking about?_" Johnny asked angrily. "_What surprise?_"

"The homeless man that you ran into earlier, wasn't actually a homeless man," she answered smugly. "He was a friend of mine and during your run in, he gave you some of your own medicine. I took an infected blood sample from Detective Walsh and had my friend inject you with it. You're going to get sick, just like him."

Johnny replied angrily, "_You bitch! You can't do this, you're a detective!_"

Casey responded curtly, "Maybe not, but no one tries to kill my partner and gets away with it. If you manage to survive this, then give me a call if you want the real money in exchange the real antidote. Walsh and I will be waiting."

"What was that?" Eddie asked in confusion once she got off the phone. "Did you really poison Jason's assailants?"

"Only one of them," she answered. "I had a feeling that the antidote I gave the doctor was fake and I was right. However, it might even be the poison, which may allow them to get the sample of it they need to make an antidote themselves. Just in case it's nothing, but water with food coloring, I've got another plan in the works as well. The assailant will go back to his boss to get the antidote for himself and when he does, we'll be there to bring them all down at once. I've got friends tailing him."

Detective Alvarez replied, "You're taking a pretty big risk by doing all this. Jason may not be able to hold on for much longer."

She looked over at her partner again and took his hand in her own, then she responded, "He's going to make it. He always has before. This time is no different. He's a fighter."


	15. Chapter 15

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Fifteen

Just after three o'clock…

"What the hell are you doing here, Johnny?" the rich lawyer with a German accent stated angrily as his right hand barged his way into the man's home, that wasn't their meeting place just outside of Harlem. "I didn't send for you."

"I need the antidote," Johnny cried in desperation. "That bitch double crossed me just as we did to her. She poisoned me with that cop's blood!"

Han backhanded the man across his cheek as he stood to face him, causing Johnny to fall hard to the floor because he wasn't expecting it, then Han answered, "I thought I told you never to come here to my own, private home. I made it very clear that when you first started working for me that you were to call me only for a face to face meeting. My family is here and you dare to bring our work in. I promised that if you disobeyed me once, then you would no longer work for me. You can have the antidote because you have been loyal to me all these years, but after you take it, I want you to leave. If you get caught, do not try coming to me for help. You won't get it and if you ever try telling the cops about me, you'll wish that you never met me. Is that understood?"

The man no longer employed responded, "Fine. Just give me what I came here for, then I'm out of your life for good, and you can go on pretending like you're untouchable. Eventually, the detectives will catch up to you too. Once Detective Walsh is dead, they'll stop at nothing to find the man behind his demise. I hope it was all worth it."

"His death is worth it," Han replied smugly as Johnny was handed a syringe by another of the lawyer's men, then gently slid the needle into his arm, and injected the syringe's contents into his body, hoping that his former boss wasn't double crossing him too like he did the detectives. "He killed my kid brother, then made me a monster in my son's eyes. Now the boy wants nothing to do with me and I've got no one to leave all I have to any longer."

"It's always about revenge," John stated as he started to head toward the door. "Good luck. Good luck with whatever you have planned next. This was fun while it lasted."

The man was about to say something when suddenly the main door of the home was broken down and a number of police barged inside wielding their weapons and shouting for all those inside to raise to freeze once they raised their hands high. Most of them did as they were told, but a few tried to resist, only to end up dead on the floor.

Han listened to the cops as he knelt down, but turned to John once again and shouted, "You led them straight to me, you son of a…"

As she walked inside the main room, Detective Shraeger interrupted as she said, "Yes, he did, but in his defense, he had no idea that I had put a tail on him since he left me at the river, holding the fake antidote you supplied me with. And who are you?"

"His name is Han Driscoll, wealthy defense lawyer for all thugs and criminals, especially rapists and murderers," Alvarez answered as he came over to stand beside her as she worked on cuffing the man's hands tightly behind his back. "Before you came in, Walsh and Kowalski worked a case involving the rapes and murders of six women, all of whom were very wealthy. Eventually, they were able to figure out that the man behind this was Erik Driscoll, this man's brother. Jason found him and was forced to kill him. Most of the women's wealth disappeared and was never found. We could never prove where Han here got all his own money, except for what he earned in court, but we suspected he was involved in his brother's killings. We just could never prove it. He was brought to court, but found not guilty; double jeopardy making it impossible for us to bring up any other charges against him.

"Until now," Casey responded smugly as she knelt down to pick up the syringe John had dropped on the floor before turning to leave. "Was this all the antidote there was? Was it?"

One of the other cops in the room spoke up as he walked into the room carrying a case containing two more vials of some kind of liquid saying, "It looks like there may be a few more, ma'am, unless these are filled with the poison they used. The doctors will be able to tell for sure."

Casey glared at the man that assaulted her and her partner as she said to the officer, "Take them to the hospital right away and tell them to test them as quickly as possible."

"Yes ma'am, Detective Shraeger," the cop replied as he and the other men in uniform dragging away the rest of the criminals in handcuffs left the home, leaving Casey and Alvarez behind with Han Driscoll and John Carver.

"So, this is your real face then?" Casey asked as she suddenly struck the side of his face with an open palm so that she could scratch him to see if he was wearing a mask or not; he wasn't. "That was mostly for me. Seeing you in prison and then watching you receive a lethal injection will be for what you did to my partner and all those other people you attacked, blackmailed, and killed for your boss here."

Carver answered, "I figured death would happen sooner or later. And Driscoll's no longer my boss, but if you want something from me, you can forget it. He may have wronged me, but I dislike you even more, Detective Shraeger. You seem to care for your partner an awful lot, perhaps you even love him after all. I hope he manages to live through this. I really do. If so, Driscoll and I can both get another chance to get our revenge later on, as hokey as that sounds. I suggest you watch his back even better from now on. He's going to need you to."


	16. Chapter 16

Jason's Requiem

Chapter Sixteen

An hour and a half after the arrests were made…

Casey was once again sitting inside the hospital upon returning from making the proper arrests, but this time, she waited in a chair at her partner's bedside, while the doctors worked to mix up the antidote from the vials she had given them. She stared down at his hand she was holding for the longest time, as it frightened her to look anywhere else, especially at his pale face as his closed eyes made him appear dead. Jason was at death's door, but Casey held on to the hope that he had enough strength left in him left to fight the angel off. She quickly shook the thought from her mind and finally looked over at his face as she spoke up softly, not even sure if he could really hear her.

"We found the men responsible for hurting you," she said. "They're on their way to Attica and should be rotting inside their new home along death row for the next few years by six o'clock tonight. They're going to pay like I promised you they would. I did some things that I'm not too proud of over the last few days, but I'm not sorry I did them, so long as it all helps make you well again."

"I think that whatever you did is enough," her partner's doctor responded as he slowly walked into the room, not meaning to startle her as he caused her to jump when he spoke. "I'm sorry."

Detective Shraeger shook her head slightly as she answered, "It's all right, doctor. Are you saying he's going to pull through? You were able to make the antidote from whatever it was we were able to bring you?"

The man looked down at his patient, then held up a syringe in his hands as he replied, "You were right to have me check the first vial you gave me. It was only more of the poison, as was one of the other vials that were brought to me later on. The other was the antidote and from it all, I was able to mix enough of it. I just hope it's in time."

"It will be," she responded as she watched the doctor inject the contents of the needle into the bag of antibiotics he was being treated with to help keep him alive.

"If we are in time, then he should start to show signs of improvement by morning," the man continued. "I hope that not too long after that we should finally be able to remove the ventilator. Detective Walsh is very lucky to have a partner as loyal as you."

As the man started to leave the room, Casey spoke up again answering softly, "Jason would have done the same for me. It's me who's the lucky one."

Six days later…

Casey walked into her partner's room once again and found him finishing gathering his things together as he was waiting to finally leave the hospital. He recovered like she said he would. The ventilator was removed the day after the antidote was administered to him and was replaced with a nose tube in order to continue helping him. It took three days for him to finally awaken, finding Casey sitting beside him as she slept, with her hand over his own.

When he heard her walk in, Walsh turned around and said, "You're running late. Is everything okay back at the precinct?"

"Yeah, I uhh… I just lost track of the time," she replied nervously. "I had something I needed to do before coming here to pick you up."

"Is it involving one of the risks you took in saving my life?" he asked as he looked over at her with gratitude in his eyes. "I don't know everything, but Alvarez told me enough. You know he can't keep a secret."

Shraeger shrugged as she responded, "The risks I took were nothing that I can't live down."

Walsh quickly answered, "You paid our killers four million dollars to save me and in order to get close enough to poison one of them, knowing that he would lead you back to Driscoll. I don't know what else you were forced to do and I'm hoping one day you'll tell me, but you had to have gone to your family for the money, which I know was one of the most difficult things you've ever had to do. I'm so sorry, but I am even more grateful and will always be."

"You would have done the same for me, as you did…" she replied and then was about to say something more until he suddenly cut her off by reaching out and taking her head in his hands as he kissed her tenderly.

"You're right, I would have," he responded once he finally released her, though he continued to hold her as he stared into her eyes. "I will always be here for you, Casey. I may not be the best choice for you, as there are many other men out there that would be better suited for you, but I love you, which is why I've been so protective of you lately and not just reckless. But if you don't feel the same way for me, if you don't love me back, I promise you it's all ri…"

Casey quickly put her fingers over his mouth to stop him from talking, and then she answered, "I do love you, Jason. I have ever since you saved my life the night you pushed me and Alvarez out of the way of the bullets flying outside of your diner after you had already endured being stabbed and left to die. You're the only person I've ever known, who's understood me and who accepts me for who I am and that's a lot. You also see the good in people no matter how they appear on the outside. I'm talking about Cole and especially Eddie. He's now your best friend, which is a big turnaround. Your partnership and acceptance has meant more to me than you will ever know."

Jason smiled and replied, "You've accepted me too, even though I'm a terrible cook and say and do whatever I think without worrying too much about the consequences. I can't say I'll ever be better with either one."

"That's just fine," she stated and then kissed him again as she took his hands in her own. "If I ever want a decent meal, I'll just go someplace else."

"You'll have to," he said smugly as they left the hospital and headed to his place. "Because I don't plan on trying to get any better."

The End


	17. Thank You

Thank you to all of those who have read and have written reviews for my stories! They are much appreciated. I'm honored to have you all for fans and I hope to hear from you all again in the future, should you choose to read and enjoy more of my work. Best of wishes to you all!

Sincerely,

Genevieve Kelly


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